How to buy the perfect gift and shop local
Mother’s Day is taking place on Sunday 30th March and many people like to use it as an opportunity to acknowledge their mum or an important family member and to say thank you for everything they do.
When choosing them a gift or card, why not buy from a Faversham business and keep it local? It’s a great way to treat an important person in your life and also support Faversham’s economy. We want to make sure our lovely traders and businesses are still here for next year’s Mother’s Day too!
With the fabulous selection of market traders and town centre businesses in Faversham, you’ll be spoilt for choice with excellent gift ideas. So take a look at some of our suggestions below.
Faversham Charter Market
Faversham Charter Market trades on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays – for the biggest selection of stalls, Saturday is the best day to visit.
One of the most popular and longest-serving stallholders on our Charter Market is Richard’s Plants and he doesn’t disappoint with his fabulous plants when Mother’s Day is here. Check out his stall under the Guildhall for a large selection of good quality and reasonably priced plants to suit all gardens. He also has beautiful spring pots and hanging baskets which make for a perfect Mother’s Day gift. If you’re looking for cut flowers instead, Friendy’s Flowers on the Saturday Market always have at terrific selection.
A piece of local art is another great idea for a present and Sue King is a very talented local artist selling her paintings of local Faversham scenes. Alternatively, for anyone who loves Faversham, The Spire merchandise stall has some fab gifts featuring an affectionate, yet satirical take on Faversham life on T shirts, mugs and in books.
Another Saturday trader is Gift from the Gods which sells scarves, jewellery, cards and bags – all excellent ideas for Mother’s Day. Toiletries are also a great suggestion and you’ll find Jacinta selling a selection of Neal’s Yard toiletries including gift boxes on her stall on Fridays and Saturdays.
We are proud to be home to two of the region’s best drinks producers who regularly trade on the Charter Market. Mad Cat Brewery sells bottles of craft beer made here in Faversham and Kent Cider also sells award-winning bottles of cider.
Another great gift idea is to choose a fun sign which will put a smile on your mum’s face. Furniture Barn sells cheeky wooden signs and don’t forget Jeremy’s collection of metal signs and memorabilia which he spreads out on the road for people to browse.
Not forgetting the following stalls which are definitely worth a look when browsing for gifts – Bergamia Tea for locally blended tea; John’s Kitchen for liqueurs, jams and pickles; Hari’s clothing; the Olive Man, jams; juices from Simmons Fruit & Veg; cakes from Jacques et Lilie, Twinks Treats, Gilda Bakery or Jeannette’s Bakes and also affordable purses and bags from the bag stall.
Best of Faversham
Local prints and artwork are such a lovely idea if you’re looking for a gift, or for something to adorn your own walls at home. At Best of Faversham Market we have a number of very talented photographers, illustrators and printmakers who specialise in creating lovely artwork.
If you’re looking for beautiful watercolours, then check out Rainbow Raindrops. Her colourful, striking images include still life, flowers and wildlife. She is also sells cards, jewellery and other accessories featuring her beautiful paintings.
Alan Peel takes images of local scenes and digitally alters them to create colourful and charming images. Alan regularly trades at Best of Faversham.
Another familiar face on Best of Faversham is Nick Beal, a well-known local photographer, with a reputation for taking images of Faversham which capture the distinctive personality of the town. His prints of the streets of Faversham and local countryside are very popular.
Vicky Ellis is another very talented local artist well known for her exquisite drawings and paintings of insects and animals. She sells cushions, prints and cards featuring her trademark foxes, bumble bees and a whole host of other little creatures.
A great idea for a gift is to give someone an illustration of their favourite celebrity and Best of Faversham has the perfect trader! Famous Faces by John creates mounted prints of famous faces and also adds his drawings to aprons, tea towels and birthday cards.
If you’re looking for something a bit different, how about a cyanotype print? The Wild Darkroom is a regular trader on Best of Faversham. Karen creates beautiful photographic prints and cards featuring the distinctive and beautiful cyanotype blue. She also sells sunlight printing kits, so you can have a go at making your own picture.
In addition to photographers and artists, Best of Faversham is also home to a very talented group of people who make jewellery, textiles, ceramics, glassware, soft furnishings and wooden gifts. We often have two or three jewellers trade on the market with gift ideas to suit all budgets. Kate’s Makes Chocolates locally made, artisan confectionery is also a fabulous option if you’re looking for a Mother’s Day present.
Best of Faversham Market trades on the first and third Saturday of the month. Stalls are usually based outside the front of the Guildhall in the Market Place. On the same Saturdays, there’s also a very popular craft fair organised by Eventissima taking place in the Alexander Centre in Preston Street, which is also worth checking out when you’re in town.
Faversham Antiques Market
If you visit Faversham Antiques Market, which takes place on the first Sunday of the month, you may find something very special for a Mother’s Day gift. There are usually over fifty stalls selling antique jewellery, ceramics, glassware, artwork, books and collectibles – all of which would make perfect gifts!
Choosing something antique or vintage is such a good way to buy something very special, unique and one-of-a-kind. What a lovely way to treat that special person in your life, by buying a little piece of history.
The Antiques Market trades from 8am until 4pm.
Town centre shops
There are also many, many shops in Faversham with a terrific selection of gift ideas for mum or that special person in your life.
Book shops include our neighbour Tales on Market Place with a fabulously curated selection of non-fiction and fiction books, as well as beautiful stationery and cards. There are also two very good second hand book shops which are perfect for those little people with small budgets – Past Sentence on West Street and The Fleur Book Shop in Preston Street.
Faversham boasts some gorgeous gift shops including No 77 in Preston Street, Barley Mow in Court Street and Birch & Form on Market Place. Or how about a record or music merchandise from Saturnalia in Market Street or a Fairtrade gift from Oxfam in Preston street? You can choose a beautiful card from Presentimes or Forget Me Not Cards. If your mum is into food, then there’s a terrific selection of local and international food from East Street Deli or how about a lovely bottle of wine from Vino’s?
If you want something unique and locally made, take a look at the Creek Creative Gallery Shop which has a fabulous selection of items made by local designers including artwork, ceramics, jewellery, glassware and textiles.
If your Mum is passionate about knitting or sewing, we have two fabulous shops in Faversham packed full of goodies she’d love. Check out All Stitched Up on the corner of Court Street and The Yarn Dispensary behind the Guildhall in the Market Place for loads of gift ideas.
Last, but not least, we have two top-notch florists in Faversham who can create a beautiful bouquet for your Mum – Lotty’s Flowers on the Market Place and also Buttons Blooms on Market Street.
With all these excellent choices for gift shopping on your doorstep in Faversham, you really don’t need to go further afield!
Thank you to everyone who supports our markets and Faversham’s shops and businesses.
For more information on many of the stalls that trade on our markets, take a look at our traders’ directory here.
